Corn-sheller.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

yJ. V. STRADLEY.

CORN -SHELLERl APPLIGATION F1LED JULYla. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l'.

No. 882,723. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908. J. V. STRADLEY.

CORN SHELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z/J' 27 'f4 U50 29,2 @El 26 /Z /0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN V. STRADLEY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MINNEAPOLISTHRESHING MACHINE CO., OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OFMINNESOTA.

CORN-SHE LLER.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1906.

Patented March 24, i908.

serial No. 326,042.

To all whom c't may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-IN V. STRADLEY, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county,Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOorn-Shellers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved corn shellingmeans, to the end that the efficiency and capacity of the machine may beincreased.

The invention consists generally in an improved corn-shelling cylinder.

Further, the invention consists in providing a swinging gate or valve toautomatically control the discharge of the cobs from the cylindercasing.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the raccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification;Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a cornshellingmachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional viewlengthwise of the shelling cylinder. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview on the line -x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the discharge end ofthe cylinder. Fig. 5 is a view of the opposite end showing the drivingmeans therefor.

In the drawings, 2 represents the frame of the machine having carryingwheels 3 and 4 and a feed belt 5 operating in a casing 6 to deliver thecorn into a hopper 7. Beneath the hopper is a shaft 8 extendinglengthwise of the machine and having a driving pulley 9 at one end andjournaled in the heads 10 and 11 of a cylinder casing 12. This casinghas a grated lower portion which holds the corn up against the shellingcylinder and allows the escape of the kernels as fast as they areshelled from the cobs, and an arched upper portion 13 preferably ofsheet metal forms a closed top or cover for the casing and prevents thekernels of corn from being thrown upward out of the machine during theshelling operation.

A gear 14 is mounted on the end of the cylinder shaft, meshing with asimilar gear 15 on a counter shaft 16 which drives a shaft 17 through apinion 18 and gear 19. A belt 20 from the shaft 17 drives the feedelevator. The opposite end of the shaft 10 from the driving pulley isprovided with a fan 21 operating in a casing 22 and arranged to collectthe chaff and light material discharged through the end of the cylinderand deliver it to a pipe 23.

A shelling cylinder is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and is formedintegrally with the shaft 10 on which it is mounted. The receiving endof said cylinder is provided beneath the discharge opening in thehopper, with a series of spirally arran ed lugs or beaters 24. There arepreferab y siX of these beaters and their function is to break the cobsand also perform a part of the shelling operation, and their spiralarrangement on the shaft produces an even force feed of the corn as itis discharged from the hopper. Adjoining the beaters 24 are two spiralwings 26 which assist in continuing the force feed. Adjoining the wings26 are three straight wings 27 whose function is to assist in shellingthe corn from the cobs.

Contiguous to the wings 27, I provide another set alternating inposition on the cylinder with the series 27 and having substantially thesame functions, and between these last named wings I provide three shorttapering lugs 29 whose function is to throw the cobs outwardly towardthe wall of the cylinder casing or cage; and lastly at the end of thecylinder I provide two spiral lugs or beaters 30 which tend to throw thecobs out of the casing upon the rack 31 from whence they are deliveredover a slide 32 to a cob carrier 33. The shelled corn is directed by theplates 34 and 35 upon a sieve 36 and there subjected to a blast of airfrom a fan 37 which separates the dust and chaff from the corn andallows it to flow down over the plate 38 to a transverse conveyer 39. Anelevator 40 is connected with the discharge end of the conveyer 39 andoperated by a belt 41 from the shaft 17, a spout 42 being provided toallow the corn carried up by the elevator to be run to a wagon boX orother receptacle.

At the discharge end of the cylinder I provide an opening 43 and a slide44 adjustable in said opening by means of a slot 45 and thumb-nut 46,for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the size of said. opening. Avalve or gate 47 is hinged at 48 over said opening and has a weightedarm 49 which tends to hold the said gate in position to close saidopening, but allows it to be pressed out by the accumulation of cobs inthe cylinder to permit their discharge. This valve works automaticallyand' controls the outlet of the cobs so that the corn may be shelled atany rate of speed.

The size of the discharge opening is easilyV and feed the cobs along inthe cylinder, each lug and wing thereon performing its function ofshelling and feeding until the cobs reach f the discharge end where thefinal shelling is performed and the cobs are thrown out of the cylindercasing.

The fan at the end of the cylinder shaft will create a considerablesuction at the discharge end of the cylinder and carry away a largeportion of the chaff and light refuse material thrown out with the cobsupon the rack 3l, Y

I do not wish to be confined to any particular size of the beaters orwings on the cylinder, or to their exact relative position asconsiderable modification may be made therein without departing from thescope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a corn Sheller, the combination, with a hopper, of a shaftprovided beneath the same, a shelling cylinder cast on said shaft andhaving a casing provided with a cobdischarge opening at one end, spiralcob breaking and feeding beaters mounted on said cylinder at itsreceiving end, spirally arranged feeding wings whereto the ears aredelivered from said beaters, a series of straight shelling wingsextending lengthwise of said cylinder in position to receive the earsfrom said spirally arranged feeding wings, a second series of straightwings alternating in rposition with said first series, a series oftapering lugs arranged between the straight wings of said second seriesto throw the cobs outwardly toward the wall of the cylinder casing, anda series of cob discharging beaters located at the discharge end of saidcylinder near said cob discharge opening, substantially as described.

2. In a corn sheller, the combination, with a casing and a hopperprovided at one end thereof, said casing having a discharge openingat'the opposite end, of a shaft concentric with said casing, a shellingcylinder formed integrally on said shaft, a series of lugs mounted onthe periphery of said cylinder beneath the receiving opening in saidcasing, said lugs having flat surfaces and arranged diagonally on saidcylinder and provided with inclined outer ends, and spirally arrangedwings adjacent to said lugs on said cylinder, said wings graduallydecreasing in depth from their receiving to their discharge ends,substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of June1906.

JCI-IN V. STRADLEY. Witnesses:

A. D, WELTON, F. E, KENNE'ION.

